In trademark fashion, the former Everton FC man had grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck to earn and convert a penalty mere seconds after Jordan Henderson's 57th-minute own goal had seemingly sent an ailing England tumbling towards damaging home defeat against Slovenia.

A quarter of an hour later, and a Danny Welbeck brace had completed an unlikely turnaround and extended England's 100% start to their Euro 2016 qualifying group.

This, though, was Rooney's evening, an occasion of which to be proud not only for the player – now level with Jimmy Greaves on 44 goals for his country – but also for Everton.

The Blues, after all, were the club who nurtured his burgeoning talent as a youngster and, in the persuasive words of Colin Harvey, prevented him from walking away from the sport altogether.

Boxing's loss has been football's gain.

Rooney, the ninth player to reach a century of appearances for England, led the team out with his two young sons before being presented with a commemorative 100 cap by Bobby Charlton.

Like his England team-mates, Rooney was again all smiles come the final whistle.

But it says much about the paucity of opposition in their qualifying group that Hodgson's side were let off the hook after a dismal showing for the first hour.

The growing reality is friendlies such as Tuesday's in Scotland will be a greater barometer of any chance of success in Euro 2016 than the qualifiers themselves.

Rooney's previous 99 appearances can rarely have featured an opening 45 minutes quite as appalling as witnessed here, the faded NFL writing on the pitch more interesting viewing than the game itself.

From the very first whistle, England lacked verve, drive, imagination and inspiration, not helped by the blunt diamond formation that contained three Liverpool players in Adam Lallana, Henderson and, on his first appearance since the furore over being “tired” in Estonia last month, Raheem Sterling.

Such an approach put the onus on the full-backs to provide the width, a big ask for debutant Nathaniel Clyne and Kieran Gibbs, who was winning only his fifth cap.

All Slovenia needed to do was sit deep, pack the central areas and watch as England raced towards the final third before quickly running out of ideas.

The home side did show some glimpses of hope without ever forcing Slovenia goalkeeper Samir Handanovic into a save of note.

Sterling dragged a shot wide after good work by Clyne – the 26 different debutant under Hodgson – found Rooney in space inside the area.

Rooney volleyed over from range while Danny Welbeck directed a free header into the turf and harmlessly wide having been found by a Sterling cross.

Indeed, the nearest England came to breaking the dismal deadlock was when Handanovic was almost caught out by a bobbly backpass from Slovenia midfielder Jasmin Kurtic.

Henderson and Jack Wilshere toiled in the centre of the park while Lallana's half was summed up when he was caught in the face by a forearm smash by Bostjan Cesar which went unpunished by the officials.

Slovenia's only effort came on 28 minutes when an Adraz Kirm corner from the left was headed wide by centre forward Milivoje Novakovic.

But while England started the second half brighter – Phil Jagielka nodding a Rooney cross at Handanovic – they were behind on 57 minutes in lamentable fashion.

England's Danny Welbeck scoring their second goal

After Lallana conceded a free-kick on the Slovenia right, the delivery was whipped in by Novakovic and in attempting to head clear, Henderson succeeded only in looping the ball over Joe Hart into his own goal.

It was the first time England had conceded in 512 minutes since Luis Suarez's winner for Uruguay at the World Cup.

But before Wembley could grow restless, Rooney had single-handedly dragged them back into the game two minutes later.

A brilliant, slaloming run away from defenders into the area was halted by Bostjan Cesar's trip. Handanovic had saved the previous five penalties faced but was beaten by the sheer power of Rooney's spot kick.

Not that England were out of the woods, Phil Jagielka indebted to a block from centre-back partner Gary Cahill after gifting possession to Kevin Kampl.

But two goals inside six minutes from Welbeck settled the match.

The first, on 66 minutes, was a scrappy affair. Sterling found Lallana inside the area, whose deflected cross was knocked back into the danger zone by Handanovic to Welbeck.

The striker completely scuffed his shot but it was sufficient to deceive the Slovenia keeper and drop into the far corner.

His second, though, was a fine team goal. After a neat build up down the left involving Lallana and Gibbs ended with Welbeck playing a give-and-go with Sterling inside the area and finishing neatly beyond Handanovic.

Welbeck rejoiced. This, however, was a night that belonged to a lad from Croxteth.